Oil well pipe and drill stem wiper



Se t. 20, 1955 A. K. BAEBEL OIL WELL PIPE AND DRILL STEM WIPER 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 14, 1953 INVENTOR 1X74? K54BL ATTORNEY5 Sept.20, 1955 A. K. BAEBEL 2,718,021

OIL WELL PIPE AND DRILL STEM WIPER Filed Aug. 14, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2IN VENTOR W6! m 5mm v fla/m'adwn ATTORNEYJ United States Patent 01L WELLPIPE AND DRILL STEM WIPER Arthur K. Baebel, Maracaibo, VenezuelaApplication August 14, 1953, Serial No. 374,188

2 Claims.- c1. 1s -102 This invention relates to wipers for wipingdrilling mud, water and oil from oil well pipes or drill stems as thepipes or drill'stems are withdrawn from the well and more particularlyto a wiper assembly which can be opened andclo'sed to permitthe passageof large diameter parts, such as drill bits, through the wiper, withoutdamage to the wiper partsv It is among the objects of the invention toprovide an improved wiper assembly which can be permanently mounted onthe well rig structure, as on the top end of the surface casing abovethe blow out preventer or suspended from the drill platform, the rotarytable or the flow nipple; which can be opened and closed under manualcontrol to permit the passage of drill bits or other structures, such asfinishing tools or pumps of large diameter through the wiper withoutdamage to the wiper parts; which is resiliently closed and will givesufficiently in an opening direction to provide for the passage of pipeor drill s'tem joints or couplings through the wiper without damage orexcessive wear ofthe rubber wiping elements of the wiper assembly; whichwill effectively wipe drillingmud, oil or water from the drill stem orwell pipe as the drill stem or pipe is removed from the well without theuse of water for washing the drill stem or pipe; and which may be leftin position during the entire well drilling operation and does not haveto be removed from the drill stem or well pipe each time the last orbottom section of such pipe or stem is removed from the well or placedon the stem or pipe when the first or bottom section is reinserted intothe well, thus saving an important amount of time and labor in drillingof an oil well.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from a considerationof the following description and the appended claims in conjunction withthe accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a somewhat diagrammatic side elevational view ofafragmentary portion of an oil well rig structure showing a wiperassembly mounted on the upper end of the surface casing of the well;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the wiper assembly illustrated in Figure1;

Figure 3 is a top plan view of a support structure constituting aportion of the wiper assembly;

Figure 4 is a longitudinal, medial cross sectional view of the structureillustrated in Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a top plan view of the wiper assembly, similar to Figure 2,but showing the wiper elements of the assembly separated;

Figure 6 is a top plan view of opposed slide blocks and rubber wipingelements of the wiper assembly;

Figure 7 is a fragmentary sectional view on the line 7-'-7 of Figure 6;and

v Figure 8 is a transverse cross sectional view on the line 8'8 ofFigure 1.

With continued reference to the drawings, the term oil well structure asused in this description includes, among other components, the drillplatform 10 supported in horizontal position above the ground by theusual supporting means, the rotary table 11 through which the drill stem12 extends and which rotates the drill stem in the well; the flow nipple13 depending from the rotary table in surrounding relationship to thedrill stem 12, the surface casing 14 mounted in the upper portion of thewell and extending somewhat above the ground level at the top of thewell and having the blowout preventer, not illustrated, includedtherein, and the re'-' maining usual or necessary components of wellrigs, as well known to the art.

The wiper assembly of the present invention includes a support,generally indicated at 15, of elongated, rectangular shape comprising apair of channel shaped guide bars 16 and 17 disposed in spacedapart andparallel relationship to each other with their open sides mutuallyopposed and fiat plates 18 and 19 of substantially triangularshapeextending one from each of the guide bars 16 and 17 toward the otherguide bar and joined together at their ends remote from the guide barssubstantially midway between the two guide bars. At their abutting endsplates 18 and 19 are provided with a circular aperture 20 symmetricallydisposed between the'guide bars 16 and 17 and having a diametersubstantially equal to the outside diameter of the top end of thesurface casing 14. The top end of the surface casing is' received in theaperture 20 and-the support is secured to the casing by a suitable screwthreaded, bolted or welded connection so that thesupp'ort ismounted onthe top eiid of the casing in substantially horizontal positionand'above the blow out preventer assembly of the rig' structure.

A pair of flat slide blocks 21 and 22 of rectangular shape are mountedon the support 15 with their side edges slidably engaged in the guidebars16 and 17 for movement toward and away from each other. These slideblocksare provided in their'mutually adjacent ends with notches orrecesses 23 and 24 respectively, of semicircular shape and with groovesextending marginally around these recesses and opening to the topsurfaces of the corresponding slide blocks;

Wiper elements 26 and 27 of a suitable resiliently elastic material,such as vulcanized rubber, are carried one by each of the slide blocksand are respectively disposed in' the slide block notches 23 and'24. Thewiper elements 26 and 27 are flat bodies of rubber of semicircular shapemarginally received in the grooves extending around the semicircularrecesses 23 and 24 in the corresponding slide blocks 21 and 22 and eachwiper element has in its straight edge a semicircular notch or recess,as indicated at 28 and 29 for the elements 26 and 27 respectively. Therecesses 28 and 29 are disposed symmetrically of the lengths of thestraight edges of the corresponding wiper elements and, when thestraight edges of the wiper elements are closed together by moving theslide blocks 21 and 22 to their limiting position toward each other,they constitute a circular aperture having a diameter substantiallyequal to the outside diameter of the drill stem or well pipe to bewiped.

Pneumatic or hydraulic cylinders 30 and 31 are dis posed below thesupport 15 one at each end of the support with their center lines belowand parallel to the center lines of the guide bars 16 and 17 anddisposed medially of the distance between the guide bars. An arm 32extends downwardly from the slide block 21 medially of the width of thisslide block and a similar arm 33 extends downwardly from the slide block22' medially of the Width of the slide blocks. Pistons, 30 and 31', arereciprocably disposed in' the cylinders 30' and 31- and a piston rod 34extending through the inner end of the cylinder 30 connects the pistonin this cylinder to the lower end of the arm 32 while a piston rod 35extending through the inner end of the cylinder 31 connects the pistonin this cylinder to the lower end of the arm 33. Bracket arms 36 and 37extend inwardly from the guide bars 16 and 17 to the cylinder 30 towhich they are secured at their inner ends to rigidly mount the cylinder30 in operative position on the support and similar bracket arms 38 and39 extend inwardly from the guide bars 16 and 17 to the cylinder 31 towhich they are secured to rigidly support this cylinder in operativeposition on the support.

The cylinders 30 and 31 are double acting and the outer ends of thesecylinders are connected together by a pipe line 40 while the inner endsare connected together by a pipe line 41. The pipe line 40 is connectedby a branch pipe 42 to a manually operated four-way valve 43 and thepipe line 41 is connected to the valve 43 by a branch pipe 44. A fluidpressure conduit 45 connects the valve 43 to a suitable source of fluidunder pressure, such as a compressed air tank, and the valve is providedwith an exhaust port 46 and with an oper- L ating handle 47.

The valve 43 may be a well known form of four-way valve and iseffectiveto connect the outer ends of the cylinders 30 and 31 to thesource of fluid under pressure while connecting the inner ends of thecylinders to atmosphere through the exhaust port 46, to connect theinner ends of the cylinders to the source of fluid under pressure whileconnecting the outer ends to atmosphere or to connect both ends of bothcylinders to atmosphere at the same time cutting off the pressure fluidsupply pipe 45.

With this arrangement, when the valve is in one position the slideblocks 21 and 22 and the wiper elements 26 and 27 will be moved awayfrom each other to the position shown in Figure 5 in which position awell pipe or a drill stem, such as the drill stem 12 may pass freelybetween the wiper elements and a drill bit or other structure of largediameter on the drill stem or well pipe may be moved between the wiperelement without touching or in any way damaging the wiper element. Whena drill stem, for example, is being lowered into the well, after thedrill bit has passed between the wiper elements the valve 43 is operatedto apply fluid under pressure to the outer ends of the cylinders 30 and31 and vent the inner ends of the cylinders thereby moving the slideblocks 21 and 22 and the wiper elements 26 and 27 toward each other tothe closed position illustrated in Figure 2. Since it is not materialthat the wiper elements be closed together as the drill stem is beinglowered into the Well, they may be left in their separated oropencondition, as illustrated in Figure 5, until it is desired towithdraw the stem from the well. At this time the valve 43 will beoperated to move the slide blocks 21 and 22 and the wiper elements 26and 27 together to position illustrated in Figure 2 in which position ofthe wiper elements the edges of these elements surround the notches 28and 29 engage the outer surface of the drill stem. As the drill stemsections are now withdrawn from the well the wiper elements will wipethe drilling mud, or water on the surface of the drill stem downwardlyinto the well as the drill stem is pulled up. As the air pressure in thecylinders 30 and 31 is of a resilient nature, as the drill stem jointsor couplings 48, which are of somewhat greater diameter than theintermediate portions of the drill stem sections, are moved between thewiper elements, these wiper elements may separate sufiiciently to permitthe couplings to pass therethrough without damaging or excessivelywearing the rubber wiper elements, the elements being returnedimmediately to their engagement with the drill stern sections-afte'r thecouplings pass therebetween by the resilient pressure of the air in thecylinders 30 and 31.

- .1 When the drill bit has been brought up to the lower side of thewiper assembly the valve 43 is actuated to open the wiper assembly bymoving the slide blocks 21 till and 22 and the wiper elements 26 and 27away from each other to the position illustrated in Figure 5, in whichposition of the wiper elements the drill stem may pass therebetweenwithout touching the wiper elements or damaging them in any way. Afterthe entire drill stem including the drill bit has been removed from theWell the wiper assembly may be reclosed to preclude the accidentalfalling of heavy objects into the upper end of the well and therebyavoid the necessity of having to fish such objects from the well beforedrilling can be resumed.

While it has been suggested that the slide blocks and wiper elements bemoved relative to the support by pneumatic means, it is to be understoodthat the blocks and wiper elements may be moved toward and away fromeach other by hydraulic, pneumatic, mechanical or electrical powermeans, if desired, without in any way exceeding the scope of theinvention. Also, while the support 15 has been illustrated and describedas mounted on the top end of surface casing 14, it is to be understoodthat the support may be suspended from the drill platform 10, from therotatable table 11 or from the fiow nozzle 13, if such means of supportshould be found more convenient, without exceeding the scope of thepresent invention.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departingfrom the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The presentembodiment is, therefore, to be considered in all respects asillustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention beingindicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoingdescription, and all changes which come within the meaning and range ofequivalency of the claims are, therefore, intended to be embracedtherein.

What is claimed is:

1. A wiper assembly for oil well drill stems and pipes comprising anelongated support adapted to be mounted in substantially horizontalposition adjacent the top end of an oil well, a pair of mutually opposedslide blocks mounted on said support for sliding movement relative tosaid support toward and away from each other, wiper elements ofresiliently elastic material carried one by each of said slide blocksand projecting outwardly from the mutually opposed edges of thecorresponding slide blocks to embracingly engage a drill stem or wellpipe extending through said support between said slide blocks, andmanually controlled power operated means connected between said slideblocks and said support to move said slide blocks and associated wiperelements toward and away from each other, said support comprising a pairof parallel guide bars of channel shape disposed with their open sidesmutually opposed and a plate structure extending between andinterconnecting said guide bars and having a casing receiving aperturetherein disposed centrally of said support, and said slide blockscomprising fiat bodies having opposite edges slidably received in saidguide bars and having in their mutually opposed edges recessesmarginally receiving the corresponding wiper elements.

2. A wiper assembly for oil well drill stems and pipes comprising anelongated support adapted to be mounted in substantially horizontalposition adjacent the top end of an oil well, a pair of mutually opposedslide blocks mounted on said support for sliding movement relative tosaid support toward and away from each other, wiper elements ofresiliently elastic material carried one by each of said slide blocksand projecting outwardly from the mutually opposed edges of thecorresponding slide blocks to embracingly engage a drill stem or wellpipe extending through said support between said slide blocks, andmanually controlled power operated means connected between said slideblocks and said support to move said slide blocks and associated wiperelements toward and away from each other, said support comprising a pairof parallel guide bars of channel shape disposed with their open sidesmutually opposed and a plate structure extending between andinterconnecting said guide bars and having a casing receiving aperturetherein disposed centrally of said support, said slide blocks comprisingflat bodies having opposite edges slidably received in said guide barsand having in their mutually opposed edges recesses of semicircularshape marginally receiving the corresponding wiper elements and saidwiper elements comprising flat bodies of rubber of semicircular shapehaving medially of the length of their straight edges recesses ofsemicircular shape which constitute when said References Cited in thefile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Townsend June 1, 1926 ChurnellDec. 28, 1948 Reynolds June 23, 1953

